Intelligent device system and method for distribution of digital signals on a wideband signal distribution system

DC CAFC

US 8,984,565 B2
Filed: 11/20/2012
Issued: 03/17/2015
Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
Status: Expired due to Fees

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1. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon; and

a processor, by executing the instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium, being configured to;

receive a digital stream containing digital information, the digital information containing at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent;

receive channel in use information identifying which dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in a wideband signal distribution system;

receive traffic information identifying an information throughput of the received digital information;

determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels contained in a modulated RF signal, based on the RF channels which are identified in the channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system;

determine a number of dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal on which to carry the received digital information based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel;

instruct the modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two dynamically allocated RF channels by modulating the received digital information into at least two dynamically allocated RF channels to be output to the wideband signal distribution system, when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel;

instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system; and

instruct the modulator unit to output the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels over which the received digital information is distributed to the wideband signal distribution system.

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Abstract

A plurality of intelligent device systems for use with a wideband signal distribution network, and methods for transmitting digital information and receiving digital and non-digital information onto and off of an RF carrier through a wideband signal distribution network, are disclosed. The intelligent device systems provide networks of intelligent devices that modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband signal distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, using existing EIA/TTA 568 standard wiring infrastructure. The methods modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, and separate IP portions from non-IP portions.

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44 Claims

1. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:
- a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon; and
  
  a processor, by executing the instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium, being configured to;
  
  receive a digital stream containing digital information, the digital information containing at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent;
  
  receive channel in use information identifying which dynamically allocated RF channels are currently being used in a wideband signal distribution system;
  
  receive traffic information identifying an information throughput of the received digital information;
  
  determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels contained in a modulated RF signal, based on the RF channels which are identified in the channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system;
  
  determine a number of dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels contained in the modulated RF signal on which to carry the received digital information based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel;
  
  instruct the modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two dynamically allocated RF channels by modulating the received digital information into at least two dynamically allocated RF channels to be output to the wideband signal distribution system, when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel;
  
  instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels from among the plurality of RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system; and
  
  instruct the modulator unit to output the at least two dynamically allocated RF channels over which the received digital information is distributed to the wideband signal distribution system.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- - 2. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein:
    - the received digital information contains at least one source address identifying at least one addressable device from which the digital information was received;
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit on which specific RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal, based on the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one source address contained in the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 3. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select a number of a plurality of modulators included in the modulator unit respectively corresponding to the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the digital information for modulating the digital information based on the information throughput of the digital information and a respective capacity of each one of the plurality of modulators.
  - 4. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to select each dynamically allocated RF channel to be used to carry the received digital information, an RF carrier channel width, and a RF guardband width for carrying the digital information in the modulated RF signal, based on the information throughput of the digital information, the at least one destination address contained in the digital information, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 5. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to instruct at least two modulators of the modulator unit to modulate the received digital information into the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds the information capacity of a single RF channel.
  - 6. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit to modulate the received digital information received by the input into at least one RF channel when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the received digital information does not exceed the information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a modulated RF signal containing the at least one RF channel to the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 7. A signal distribution system comprising:
    - the intelligent device of claim 1;
      
      at least one addressable device connected to the intelligent device and configured to transmit the digital information to the intelligent device; and
      
      a wideband signal distribution system connected to the intelligent device and configured to receive the modulated RF signal outputted by the modulator unit of the intelligent device.
  - 8. The intelligent device of claim 1, comprising:
    - a wireless receiver configured to receive a wireless signal carrying digital information thereon;
      
      at least one wireless demodulator configured to demodulate the digital information carried on the wireless signal; and
      
      a combiner configured to combine the digital information received from the at least one addressable device with the digital information demodulated by the at least one wireless demodulator into a digital information stream to be modulated by the modulator unit.
  - 9. A signal distribution system comprising:
    - the intelligent device of claim 8;
      
      a wideband signal distribution system connected to the intelligent device and configured to receive the modulated RF signal from the intelligent device; and
      
      at least one addressable device configured to transmit the wireless signal to the wireless receiver of the intelligent device.
  - 10. The intelligent device of claim 1, comprising:
    - a converter configured to convert a wireless portion contained in the digital information modulated by the modulator unit into a wireless signal; and
      
      a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the wireless signal to a device configured to receive the wireless signal.
  - 11. The intelligent device of claim 1, wherein the received digital information is first digital information containing at least one first destination address, and wherein the processor is configured to:
    - receive second digital information separate from the first digital information containing at least one second destination address;
      
      instruct a combiner to combine the received first and second digital information into a digital information stream;
      
      measure an information throughput of the digital information stream combined by the combiner, and to generate the traffic information to identify the information throughput of the digital information stream;
      
      instruct the modulator unit to modulate the digital information stream into the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information stream exceeds an output capacity of a single RF channel;
      
      instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one first destination address and the at least one second destination address contained in the digital information stream, and the determined available dynamically allocated RF channels which are not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system; and
      
      output the modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels on which the digital information stream is modulated to the wideband signal distribution system.

12. An intelligent device for bi-directional distribution of modulated RF signals, comprising:
- a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon; and
  
  a processor, by executing the instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium, being configured to;
  
  receive a first modulated RF signal containing multiple channels from a wideband signal distribution system;
  
  instruct a demodulator unit to demodulate at least two channels contained in the first modulated RF signal when channel in use information identifies the at least two channels as containing information addressed to at least one addressable device;
  
  instruct a first combiner to combine the at least two channels demodulated by the demodulator unit into a first digital information stream when the channel in use information identifies the at least two channels as containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device, and to output the first digital information stream to the at least one addressable device;
  
  receive a digital stream containing digital information;
  
  measure an information throughput of the digital information contained in the received digital stream and generate traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information;
  
  instruct a modulator unit to distribute the digital information contained in the received digital stream across at least two separate RF channels by modulating the digital information into the at least two separate RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel; and
  
  output a second modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate RF channels to a wideband signal distribution system.
- View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
- - 13. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to receive the channel in use information as part of the first modulated RF signal.
  - 14. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:
    - instruct a plurality of demodulators in the demodulator unit to demodulate a respective one of the channels contained in the first modulated RF signal; and
      
      instruct the demodulators of the demodulator unit respectively corresponding to the at least two channels containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device to demodulate the at least two channels, respectively, based on the channels identified in the channel in use information that contain information addressed to the at least one addressable device.
  - 15. The intelligent device of claim 14, wherein:
    - the processor is configured to access a respective address of each one of the at least one addressable device; and
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the demodulator unit which channels contained in the first modulated RF signal are to be demodulated by comparing the channel in use information with the respective address of each one of the at least one addressable device, and to instruct the demodulators of the demodulator unit respectively corresponding to the channels containing information respectively addressed to the each one of the at least addressable device to respectively demodulate the channels containing information addressed to the each one of the at least one addressable device.
  - 16. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to instruct at least one demodulator of the demodulator unit to demodulate the at least two channels in the first modulated RF signal containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device.
  - 17. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:
    - receive the channel in use information;
      
      detect each channel contained in the received first modulated RF signal that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device;
      
      instruct a respective address of each one of the at least one addressable device; and
      
      detect each channel contained in the received first modulated RF signal that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device in accordance with the respective address of each addressable device.
  - 18. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to detect each channel contained in the first modulated RF signal that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device.
  - 19. The intelligent device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to:
    - receive the channel in use information identifying each channel that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device; and
      
      detect each channel contained in the received first modulated RF signal that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device in accordance with the respective address of each addressable device.
  - 20. The intelligent device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to receive the traffic information, determine a number of channels on which to carry the received digital information, and instruct the modulator unit of the number of channels on which to carry the digital information in the second modulated RF signal, based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel.
  - 21. The intelligent device of claim 20, wherein:
    - the channel in use information identifies RF channels being used in the first modulated RF signal; and
      
      the processor is configured to select each channel to be used to carry the received digital information based on the traffic information generated by the traffic sensor and the channel in use information generated by the detector.
  - 22. The intelligent device of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to select an RF carrier channel width, and a RF guardband width for carrying the received digital information in the second modulated RF signal, based on the information throughput of the digital information and the channel in use information generated by the detector.
  - 23. The intelligent device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to instruct at least two demodulators in the demodulator unit respectively corresponding to the at least two channels containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device to demodulate the at least two channels, respectively, based on the channels identified in the channel in use information that contain information addressed to the at least one addressable device.
  - 24. The intelligent device of claim 18, wherein:
    - the received first modulated RF signal includes channel identification information identifying the channels contained in the first modulated RF signal; and
      
      the processor is configured to detect each channel contained in the received first modulated RF signal that includes information addressed to the at least one addressable device based on the channel identification information included in the first modulated RF signal.
  - 25. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit to modulate the digital information received by the second input into at least one RF channel when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the received digital information does not exceed the information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a third modulated RF signal containing the at least one RF channel to the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 26. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein:
    - when the channel in use information identifies a single channel of the first modulated RF signal as containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device, the processor is configured to instruct the demodulator unit to demodulate at least the single channel; and
      
      the processor is configured to output the single channel demodulated by the demodulator unit to the at least one addressable device when the channel in use information identifies the single channel as containing information addressed to the at least one addressable device.
  - 27. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to receive the traffic information, determine a number of channels on which to carry the received digital information, and instruct the modulator unit of the number of channels for carrying the received digital information in the second modulated RF signal, based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel.
  - 28. The intelligent device of claim 27, wherein the processor is configured to select a number of a plurality of modulators of the modulator unit respectively corresponding to the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the received digital information for modulating the digital information based on the information throughput of the digital information and a respective capacity of each one of the plurality of modulators.
  - 29. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein:
    - the intelligent device is connected to a plurality of addressable devices each having a respectively unique address; and
      
      the processor is configured to combine at least two channels demodulated by the demodulator unit and output a respective digital information stream containing the combined at least two channels to at least one of the plurality of addressable devices to which information contained in the received first modulated RF signal is addressed, respectively.
  - 30. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first modulated RF signal and the second modulated RF signal is of a frequency in the range of 5 MHz to in excess of 1 GHz.
  - 31. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein:
    - the first modulated RF signal contains at least one channel carrying an IP portion and at least one channel carrying a non-IP portion; and
      
      the intelligent device comprises a separation unit configured to separate the at least one channel carrying the IP portion from the at least one channel carrying the non-IP portion, transmit the at least one channel carrying the IP portion to the demodulator unit, and transmit the at least one channel carrying the non-IP portion to an outlet.
  - 32. The intelligent device of claim 31, wherein the outlet is connectable to at least one of a video receiver and a device having an IP address assignable thereto.
  - 33. The intelligent device of claim 31, comprising:
    - an RF level control circuit configured to adjust the non-IP portion of the first modulated RF signal to be within a predetermined specification quality range before the non-IP portion is transmitted to the outlet.
  - 34. The intelligent device of claim 31, wherein the separation unit comprises:
    - a first bandpass filter configured to pass a first band of the first modulated RF signal carrying the non-IP portion; and
      
      a second bandpass filter configured to pass a second band of the first modulated RF signal carrying the IP portion,wherein the second band passed by the second bandpass filter is outside the first band passed by the first bandpass filter, andwherein the processor is configured to control the first and second bands respectively passed by the first and second bandpass filters based on the channel in use information.
  - 35. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit to modulate the received digital information into at least one RF channel when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the received digital information does not exceed the information capacity of a single RF channel, and to output a third modulated RF signal containing the at least one RF channel to the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 36. A signal distribution system comprising:
    - the intelligent device of claim 12;
      
      the wideband signal distribution system being connected to the intelligent device, and configured to transmit the first modulated RF signal to the intelligent device and to receive the second modulated RF signal from the intelligent device; and
      
      the at least one addressable device being connected to the intelligent device, and configured to receive the first digital information stream output from the first combiner of the intelligent device, and to transmit the digital information to the second input of the intelligent device.
  - 37. The intelligent device of claim 12, comprising:
    - a converter configured to convert at least one of the channels contained in the first modulated RF signal into a first wireless signal;
      
      a wireless transmitter configured to transmit the first wireless signal to a device configured to receive the first wireless signal;
      
      a wireless receiver configured to receive a second wireless signal carrying digital information thereon;
      
      at least one wireless demodulator configured to demodulate the digital information carried on the second wireless signal; and
      
      a second combiner configured to combine the digital information received from the at least one addressable device with the digital information demodulated by the at least one wireless demodulator into a second digital information stream to be modulated by the modulator unit.
  - 38. A signal distribution system comprising:
    - the intelligent device of claim 37;
      
      the wideband signal distribution system being connected to the intelligent device, and configured to transmit the first modulated RF signal to the intelligent device and to receive the second modulated RF signal from the modulator unit of the intelligent device; and
      
      the at least one addressable device,wherein the at least one addressable device is configured to at least one of receive the first wireless signal from the wireless transmitter of the intelligent device and transmit the second wireless signal to the wireless receiver of the intelligent device.
  - 39. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein:
    - the received digital information is first digital information;
      
      the processor is configured to receive second digital information separate from the first digital information;
      
      the processor is configured to instruct a combiner to combine the received first and second digital information into a second digital information stream;
      
      the processor is configured to measure an information throughput of the combined second digital information, and generate the traffic information to identify the information throughput of the second digital information stream; and
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit to modulate the second digital information stream into the at least two separate RF channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the second digital information stream exceeds an output capacity of a single RF channel, and to output the second modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate RF channels on which the second digital information stream is modulated to the wideband signal distribution system.
  - 40. The intelligent device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to determine a number of RF channels on which to carry the received digital information based on the information throughput of the digital information and the information capacity of a single RF channel, and to instruct the modulator unit to modulate the received digital information into at least two channels when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel.
  - 41. The intelligent device of claim 40, wherein:
    - the received digital information contains at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent; and
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit on which specific RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the digital information and the at least one destination address contained in the digital information.
  - 42. The intelligent The intelligent device of claim 41, wherein:
    - the received digital information contains at least one source address identifying at least one addressable device from which the digital information was received; and
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit on which specific RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal, based on the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the at least one source address contained in the digital information, and the at least one destination address contained in the digital information.

43. An intelligent device for transmitting information on a modulated RF signal, comprising:
- a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions recorded thereon; and
  
  a processor, by executing the instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium, being configured to;
  
  receive a digital stream containing digital information to be sent to a wideband distribution system;
  
  receive RF channel in use information identifying (i) which dynamically allocated RF channels, from among multiple channels contained in a modulated RF signal transmitted from the wideband signal distribution system, are currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system and (ii) which of the currently in use dynamically allocated RF channels are carrying digital information thereon;
  
  receive traffic information identifying the information throughput of the received digital information;
  
  determine which dynamically allocated RF channels are available to carry the received digital information, from among a plurality of RF channels, based on the RF channels which are identified in the RF channel in use information as not currently being used in the wideband signal distribution system;
  
  control a modulator unit to distribute the received digital information across at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels, from among the multiple channels contained in the modulated RF signal transmitted from the wideband signal distribution system, that are determined to carry digital information thereon and that are detected to be currently available, by modulating the received digital information into at the least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels, based on the indication of channels which carry digital information in the RF channel in use information received by the processor, when the traffic information indicates that the information throughput of the digital information exceeds an information capacity of a single RF channel;
  
  instruct the modulator unit on which specific dynamically allocated RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal based on the determined number of dynamically allocated RF channels on which to carry the digital information, and the indication of RF channels which carry digital information among the determined available RF channels as identified in the RF channel in use information received by the processor, andcontrol the modulator unit to output a modulated RF signal containing the at least two separate dynamically allocated RF channels to the wideband signal distribution system.
- View Dependent Claims (44)
- - 44. The intelligent device of claim 43, wherein:
    - the received digital information contains at least one source address identifying at least one addressable device from which the digital information was received, and at least one destination address to which the digital information is to be sent; and
      
      the processor is configured to instruct the modulator unit on which specific RF channels to carry the digital information in the modulated RF signal, based on the determined number of RF channels on which to carry the digital information, the indication of channels which carry digital information in the channel in use information received by the processor, the at least one source address contained in the digital information, and the at least one destination address contained in the digital information.

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Litigation Data

Current Assignee
ChanBond, LLC (Unified Online, Inc.)
Original Assignee
CBV, Inc.
Inventors
Stine, Robert, Snyder, Richard, Hennenhoefer, Earl
Primary Examiner(s)
Kumar, Pankaj
Assistant Examiner(s)
BROWN, RUEBEN M

Application Number

US13/682,222
Publication Number

US 20130081092A1
Time in Patent Office

847 Days
Field of Search

725/105, 725 74- 82, 725112-113, 370/540, 370/542
US Class Current

725/74
CPC Class Codes

H04H 20/63   to plural spots in a confin...

H04L 5/143   for modulated signals H04L5...

H04N 21/2143   located in a single buildin...

H04N 21/23   Processing of content or ad...

H04N 21/2365   Multiplexing of several vid...

H04N 21/2383   Channel coding or modulatio...

H04N 21/239   Interfacing the upstream pa...

H04N 21/2408   Monitoring of the upstream ...

H04N 21/4347   Demultiplexing of several v...

H04N 21/43632   involving a wired protocol,...

H04N 21/43637   involving a wireless protoc...

H04N 21/437   Interfacing the upstream pa...

H04N 21/4382   Demodulation or channel dec...

H04N 21/44245   Monitoring the upstream pat...

H04N 21/64738   Monitoring network characte...

H04N 7/106   for domestic distribution

H04N 7/108   the cable being constituted...

H04N 7/17309   Transmission or handling of...

Intelligent device system and method for distribution of digital signals on a wideband signal distribution system

First Claim

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Intelligent device system and method for distribution of digital signals on a wideband signal distribution system

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